Lives ruined when elders tell girl, 12, to lie about sex assault

February 24, 2017

Court of Appeal Fredericton

A New Brunswick court has heard a story about a 12-year-old girl’s dishonest testimony, inspired by her grandmother and grandfather, which sent her step father to prison and left the child full of remorse. Now 17, the girl has testified and sworn affidavits that she was told by elders estranged by her parent’s divorce, to say that her step-father had sexually molested her many times. But none of it was true. The provincial court of appeal in Fredericton acquitted him this week. The girl has confessed many times that she was forced to make up the story by her maternal grandmother, supported by her grandfather. Court heard the man is still forbidden access to his son’s three children because the mother believes he is a sex offender. The girl said she was told to make the allegations to social workers, police and in court. “My (paternal grandmother) pressured me so much that I felt I had no other choice but to go to court and tell the story,” she said in her affidavit, adding that she was made to watch a video of her statement before going to court to testify. “All I wanted was to please my grandmother and I was very confused.”